New Year, New Hope
by xMemoriesx
Summary: Naruto's upset on New Years Eve, and wanders off alone in the woods. Finding a nice spot, he settles down, only to meet with Uchiha Sasuke.


-1New years. The time to forgive and forget, and open arms wide to welcome the new and the old, enemies and friends alike. It's like being reborn, into society. The village of Konoha was decorated in possibly thousand of Japanese lanterns, all in colors of blue and gold, red and white, orange and purple. Every home was lit up, and there were many people out on the streets with their children or grandchildren, the younger ones waving around sparklers and some flying kites. In the middle of crowds, there was usually a group of two or three, dressed in highly decorated kimono and obi's, some doing fan dances, some playing the koto. The only citizens of Konoha who were not participating in the festivities were the Rookie 9, minus one.

They were on the outskirts of the village, up on a hill overlooking their homes. The three women of this group were sitting below a tree, all dressed in a heavier yukata designed for the winter's cold air. The blond one of the group was currently playing her own koto, the pink haired girl the shamisen, and the dark haired female was in charge of the shakuhachi. The soft music they made sounded far off to one of the males of the group; a blond, blue eyed boy named Naruto.

He was wearing a soft white and silver kimono, something he had bought for the occasion with some of the spare money he had, and tonight he lacked the Konoha forehead protector he so proudly wore all the time. It was new years, and none of the ninja had bothered to put their's on. Perched in a tree, he secluded himself somewhat from everyone else. He only talked when talked to, and refused to admit if anything was wrong. Eventually, they stopped bugging him and let him be.

Soon, the subject he was dreading was brought up. Someone- he didn't know which of them- had brought up Sasuke. They wondered how he was, and what he was doing; if he was celebrating New Years like they were. Naruto's chest tightened, and he jumped off the branch he had been on.

"I'm going for a walk. I'll be back later."

He didn't turn back to look at them, and all had gone silent for a moment, fingers resting on the strings or over certain holes in the instruments. Nobody got up to stop him, though the women looked distressed that they knew there was nothing they could do to cheer him up. They all merely watched him disappear behind the thick trees surrounding.

"Nn… Teme, where are you?" He quietly asked this question to the forest, as if the trees would answer him. A gentle breeze kissed Naruto's neck and cheek, leaving him with an icy feeling as he walked deeper into the wood.

Uzumaki Naruto was not one to brood over things. However, this something that was on his mind was out of his control. Sasuke… His best friend; he had left the village without a second glance. He left Sakura and Ino. He left everyone who cared for him. But worst of all, he left Naruto. To go to some nut, so he could give him his body.

"Doushte… Sasuke-teme…?"

Again, the wind pressed against him in answer. He kept moving, as if it would keep the horrible empty feeling in his gut at bay. Concentrating on where he was stepping was better than concentrating on answering 'why' himself. Soon, the forest debris cleared, and Naruto spotted some sparse snow. Snapping his head upwards, he wondered how far he had traveled, eyes widening. The forest seemed to give way to a meadow, where the foliage was covered in a light coating of alabaster white. Icicles hung off the pine trees, and caught the full moon's light from above, sparkling. He had never been to this clearing before. Had he?

Suppressing a yawn, he tested to see how cold the snow was with his bare feet. They were already a bit numb, the cold air encasing his bare skin and sucking out the warmth with ease. The thin blanket of snow melted with the sudden burst of heat, and Naruto decided he could live with the chilling feeling, and stepped unto the field.

Inhaling deeply, he closed to his eyes. The air was crisp and clean, and it made his throat feel raw. The smallest of breezes stung his eyes, forcing him to wince. He loved the sensations.

He had made his way into the center of the field, and plopped down. The snow under him melted and the liquid seeped through his kimono's thick woolen threads. He found he still didn't care about the temperature. Here, right here, he was comfortable. The atmosphere was light; airy. Everything his eyes could take in held a pretty sort of sparkle. It was quiet.

It reminded him of Sasuke.

He drew his legs to his chest and hugged them tightly, resting his chin on his knees. Although tired, he would have to keep himself awake. It was tradition that everyone- even the young children- stay up until the first dawn of the New Years, for the belief that a nightmare would cause bad luck and misfortune throughout the rest of the year. Naruto, whether or not he believed this, was not ready to take a chance like that. Perhaps that was the reason he didn't mind the cold; it kept him awake.

The soft, distant melody of Sakura, Sakura reached his ears and he let out a breath he had not realized he had been holding. His head throbbed a few times, before easing back into a calmer state. He closed his eyes. They had begun to ache. Although he knew it was even more possible for him to fall asleep in such a position, he fought to stay awake, unable to open his eyes. Then, he felt something change.

It had suddenly become a bit warmer. Not a lot, only a little. Something about the atmosphere changed as well; it was surprisingly a great deal more comfortable. Naruto shifted, and his eyes fluttered open with an odd ease, as if he weren't tired at all. His heart began to pound for reasons unknown to him. Then, he felt a warm hand press against his shoulder, and it sent a shiver down his spine. Just as he was about to turn around to see whoever had disturbed him, he felt a soft pressure against just behind his earlobe. Lips.

"Nande…?"

He inhaled sharply. The smell was familiar, and drenched him in nostalgia, and anxiety. The hand resting on his shoulder squeezed him reassuringly. He felt the lips smile against his flesh, and was given goose bumps.

"It's me, Naruto," the voice whispered almost huskily. Naruto tensed; he knew that voice. "I've come home."

The blond's breathing hitched, and he turned his head to face the brunet who spoke to him. A small grin was stretching his lips a bit. His skin was rather pale, emitting a pearly glow, and his eyes were still as dark as rain but they were no longer empty. They were narrowed, affection swimming around in the black pools.

"S-Sasuke.." He was breathless, more or less from the shock seizing his body. Was this a dream? He pinched himself, hard, to make sure. A yelp escaped him, and then his face was suddenly cradled into the warm hands of the Uchiha.

Naruto's heart stuttered, and his breath was caught in his constricting throat. He felt the warmth seep under his skin, where it flowed throughout his body, spreading slowly. The heat guided his lips apart, and he simply stared at Sasuke, eyes confused and surprised. Slowly, they narrowed nervously. Had he said he had come-

"Home?" the blond muttered, looking around feverishly, as if he had lost the meaning of the word and had begun to search for it amongst the snowy needles of the trees. "You're home…?"

Sasuke began to stroke Naruto's cheek with his thumb, onyx orbs flickering over each feature on the Uzumaki's face, and the poor boy felt suddenly naked under the intense observation. He squirmed, and let his eyelids flutter closed. Then, he shuddered; a warmth- tender and sweet- was lain on both of his lids, the pressure departing not seconds after it arrived. However, the warmth remained.

"Sasuke…"

He admitted he was perfectly content like this, cradled in his Sasuke's- _neh_, just Sasuke's- arms, savoring the heat and pleasantness given off. He soaked it all in, and even went to such lengths and nuzzling the palm caressing his cheek. Sasuke's reaction, if any, was minimal.

His eyes blinked open, and he inhaled sharply; Sasuke's eyes were boring into his, and it surprised him. Sending him a confused look, Naruto sat up straight, leaving the warm hands to be blanketed in cold. "Sasuke, I don't… understand."

"About what?" The soft voice tickled Naruto's ears.

A pause. "You.. Coming back."

A longer pause, more strained this time. "Do you not want me to come home, Naruto?"

He flinched; the pain laced into the Uchiha's voice was obvious, though it sounded as if he tried to mask it. Sasuke waited several long moments for an answer, and when he didn't get anything but a blank, puzzled stare, he stood up. Naruto remained seated.

"No."

If there was any sound coming from the distance, it was muffled by the falling snow. Nothing but the stillness and quiet around them pressed against each boys beings, swirling silently around them constantly. Then, the silence broke, but the noise seemed harsh against such peace.

"I should have known.. That I wasn't welcome back to Konoha." Naruto was given an icy, sorrowful stare, and that's when he jerked to life, jumping up and practically throwing himself at the dark haired boy.

"No! No, Sasuke!" He called out, his voice cracking like lightning in the stillness. "No, I _want_ you back! Don't you understand, you idiotic prat?"

Unable to help himself, a sob escaped the Uzumaki, his body beginning to shake. Sasuke, looking bewildered, remained still, unsure of what to do or say. All the while, the snow fell merrily around them, the flakes brushing against the warm, exposed skin of both boys, and melting on the spot. Then, cautiously, Sasuke let his arms encircle Naruto's waist, and tightly embrace him.

"I'm coming home, then, Naruto."

He blinked, his face wet and cold, and confusion struck once more. He was sitting again, in the same position as earlier, and the cold pressed so feverishly against him, seeping past his skin and into the center of his bones, he could not stop shivering violently. Looking up, he half-expected to see Sasuke there, but he didn't. It was as silent as ever, and now the snow had stopped. Darkness was lifting.

_Was I asleep?_ he pondered, a note of sorrow striking his heart painfully. He had to have been. Sasuke was gone, or, rather, he had never been here other than in Naruto's subconscious. Through the cold though, he felt a warm breeze touch his cheeks, and almost fondly brush through his hair. The ghost of a smile touched his lips. There was hope yet. Sasuke would come home.


End file.
